Kristen Stewart

Kristen Stewart Biography

Kristen Stewart, born as "Kristen Jaymes Stewart" (born April 9, 1990), is an American actress who is best known for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga. She has also starred in films such as Panic Room (2002), Speak (2004), Zathura (2005), The Messengers (2007), Adventureland (2009), The Runaways (2010), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) and On the Road (2012).

Personal life

Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her father, John Stewart (not to be confused with "The Daily Show"s Jon Stewart), is a stage manager and television producer who worked for FOX. Her mother is a scriptwriter who comes from Australia. She attended school until the seventh grade, and continued her education by correspondence. She has an older brother, Cameron. Stewart is an avid surfer and currently lives with her family in Los Angeles. Kristen confirmed to "Vanity Fair" that she is dating actor Michael Angarano.

Stewart's first role was a short, nonspeaking part in the Disney Channel TV production "The Thirteenth Year". She subsequently appeared in the independent film "The Safety of Objects" where she played the tomboy daughter of a troubled single mother (Patricia Clarkson). Stewart had a role in the major Hollywood film "Panic Room", playing the sullen, diabetic daughter of a divorced mother (Jodie Foster). While the film received mixed reviews, Stewart garnered positive notices for the role.

After "Panic Room"s success, Stewart was cast in another thriller, "Cold Creek Manor", playing the daughter of Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone's characters; the film generally failed at the box office. Her first starring role followed, in the children's action-comedy "Catch That Kid", opposite Max Thieriot and Corbin Bleu. Stewart also played the role Lila in the thriller "Undertow". To date, Stewart's most critically acclaimed role may be in the television film "Speak" (2004), based on the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. Stewart, thirteen at the time of filming, played high school freshman Melinda Sordino who stops almost all verbal contact after being raped and has to deal with enormous amounts of emotional turmoil. Stewart has received great praise for playing the character, who had only a few speaking lines, but kept up a dark witted commentary inside her head throughout the film.

In 2005, Stewart appeared in the fantasy-adventure film "Zathura", playing the role of Lisa- an irresponsible older sister of two little boys who, by playing a board game, turn their house into a spacecraft hurtling uncontrollably in outer space. The movie received praise by critics, but Stewart's performance didn't garner much media attention as it was noted that her character is immobilized during most of the movie. The following year, she played character Maya in "Fierce People", directed by Griffin Dunne. After that, she received the lead role of Jess Solomon in the supernatural thriller movie The Messengers, the movie was successful commercially, however, critically, it received highly negative reviews by critics.

In 2007, Stewart appeared as beautiful teenager Lucy Hardwicke in "In the Land of Women", a romantic drama starring Meg Ryan and O.C. star Adam Brody. The movie, as well as Stewart's performance, received mixed reviews. This same year, Stewart starred in Sean Penn's critically acclaimed adaptation film "Into the Wild". For her portrayal of Tracy- a teenage singer who had a crush on young adventurer Christopher McCandless- Stewart received generally positive reviews. "Salon.com" considered her work a 'sturdy, sensitive performance', and "Chicago Tribune" noted that she did 'vividly well with a sketch of a role.' Meanwhile "Variety magazine"s critic Dennis Harvey commented skeptically, 'It's unclear whether Stewart means to be playing hippie-chick Tracy as vapid, or whether it just comes off that way.' After "Into the Wild", Stewart had a cameo appearance in "Jumper" and also appeared in "What Just Happened", which was released in October 2008.

She also co-starred in The Cake Eaters, an independent film that has been screened only at film festivals.

2008–present

On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play main character Isabella "Bella" Swan in the film Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire romance novel of the same name. Stewart was on the set of Adventureland when director Catherine Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test which "captivated" the director. She starred alongside Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, her character's vampire boyfriend. The film began production in February 2008 and finished filming in May 2008.

Twilight was released domestically on November 21, 2008. Her performance garnered mixed reviews with some critics calling her "the ideal casting choice" and praising her for conveying "Bella's detachment, as well as her need to bust through it" while others criticized her acting for being "wooden" and lacking variety in her facial expressions which they described as "blank".

Stewart reappeared as Bella in the sequel, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, once again receiving mixed reviews for her performance. Jordan Mintzer from Variety called Stewart "the heart and soul of the film" and praised her for giving "both weight and depth to dialogue...she makes Bella's psychological wounds seem like the real deal." Manohla Dargis from The New York Times said Stewart's "lonely-girl blues soon grow wearisome" in the film, and Billy Goodykoontz from The Arizona Republic stated "Stewart is a huge disappointment... She sucks the energy right out of the film". She reprised this role in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

At the 2010 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Stewart and Twilight co-star Taylor Lautner presented a tribute in honour of the horror movie genre.

In 2009, Stewart starred in The Yellow Handkerchief, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was released into theaters in 2010 by Samuel Goldwyn Films. She also starred alongside James Gandolfini in Welcome to the Rileys, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010.

In 2010, Stewart portrayed rock star Joan Jett in The Runaways, a biographical film of the titular band of the same name from writer-director Floria Sigismondi. Stewart met with Jett over the 2008–2009 New Year to prepare for the role and ended up prerecording songs in a studio for the film. She received praise for her performance as the Metro Times wrote, "It turns out that Stewart is actually really good at capturing Jett's icy, tough-but-cool girl swagger, adding the needed touches of vulnerability that transform it into a pretty terrific performance... Stewart is a genuine rock star here." Also, A. O. Scott of The New York Times noted "Ms. Stewart, watchful and unassuming, gives the movie its spine and soul." The same year, Stewart was listed as the highest earning female actress in Vanity Fair's "2010's Top Hollywood Top Earners List" with an estimated earning of $28.5 million for her movie appearances in 2010.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 was released on November 18, 2011. Though the film received negative reviews, Stewart's performance was praised. Gabriel Chong called Stewart's performance "mesmerising" and said that she "makes [Bella's] every emotion keenly felt that runs the gamut from joy, trepidation, anxiety, distress and above all quiet and resolute determination" and the Village Voice's Dan Konis saying Stewart "beautifully underplays" the role. Some critics found Pattinson and Stewart's chemistry lacking and said that the relationship came off like a "charade" onscreen or that none of the three leads was convincing in her role. She concluded the role in the finale The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 in November 2012.

On December 6, 2011, Stewart was named number one on Forbes magazine's list of "Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck." On January 13, 2012, she became the face of a new unnamed Balenciaga perfume and on June 29, it was announced that the perfume will be entitled "Florabotanica".

On June 1, 2012, Stewart starred as Snow White in the film Snow White and the Huntsman. Stewart appears as Mary Lou in On the Road, the film adaption of Jack Kerouac's cult classic novel of the same name.

According to Forbes, Stewart was the highest paid actress in 2012 with total earnings of $34.5 million. She earned $12.5 million each for last two installments in the Twilight series, including royalties. She ranked #7 on AskMen's list of Top 99 Women for 2013.

Stewart will play the muse Delphi in the upcoming The Big Shoe which will be directed by Steven Shainberg.

Personal life

Stewart currently lives in Los Angeles. Apart from acting, she is also interested in attending college in the near future, saying, "I want to go to college for literature. I want to be a writer. I mean, I love what I do, but it's not all I want to do – be a professional liar for the rest of my life." In a 2008 interview with Vanity Fair, Stewart acknowledged that she was in a relationship with Michael Angarano, her co-star from the 2004 film Speak.

Since meeting on the set of Twilight in 2008, Stewart has been romantically linked to co-star Robert Pattinson. For roughly four years, they did not explicitly confirm a relationship, but paparazzi photographs and eyewitness accounts drove intense media and fan speculation and attention. In an interview with GQ, when asked why she was reluctant to talk about the relationship despite photographs of the couple online, Stewart said, "So much of my life is so easily googled. I mean, it's like, come on guys, it's so obvious!" She said in addition:

"I'm selfish. I'm like, 'That's mine!' And I like to keep whatever is mine remaining that way. It's a funny little game to play and it's a slippery slope. I always say to myself I'm never going to give anything away because there's never any point or benefit for me. I guarantee whenever I get married or have a baby, everyone is going to want to know my kid's name and I'm not going to say it for ages."

Stewart officially acknowledged her relationship with Pattinson for the first time in July 2012, when Us Weekly published photos of Stewart having an affair with her Snow White and the Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders. The day the photos were released, Stewart issued a public apology to Pattinson, saying, "This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry."

Kristen Stewart Trivia

Has an older brother named Cameron Stewart and two adopted brothers named Dana and Taylor. Her parents home where she grew up is in Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles. Kristen owns homes in Malibu and Los Feliz areas of Los Angeles where she splits her time when she isn't on location filming.

Her father is John Stewart, a TV producer who works at Fox-TV and co-produced "On-Air with Ryan Seacrest" (2004). Since 2010, he has been working with George Lopez at "Lopez Tonight" (2009) on TBS TV. Due to his job he is often present for his daughter's television appearances.

Born in Los Angeles and then spent some of her early years in Colorado and Pennsylvania before moving back to Los Angeles with her family when she was 8 years old.

Supporter and member of the Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet.

[2008] Was ranked #17 on Entertainment Weekly's '30 Under 30' the actress list.

Had to wear brown contact lenses for Twilight (2008/I) because she has naturally green eyes while Bella's eyes are supposed to be brown. Stewart wore the brown colored contacts in the first 4 of the Twilight films. In the 5th and final film Stewart wore red contacts when she was a new born vampire and amber color contacts as she matures towards the end of the film.

Four times nominated, 3 consecutive years (2003-2005) and in 2008 for the Young Artist Award. She won in 2008 for her acting in the movie Into The Wild.

[2008] Named The Movie Fanatic's Hottest Young Actress.

Has 3 dogs: Oz, a border collie mix, Jack and Lily who are hybrid wolves. Also has a cat named Max / Jella.

[2008] Was ranked #9 on Moviefone's 'The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25'.

Her mother is Australian.

Mother is Jules Stewart, a script supervisor who is directing her first film K-11 (2012).

Was introduced to Vegemite (an Australian spread) by her Sydney-born mother and names Noosa Heads (a Queensland resort town) as one of her favorite places on the planet. Her Australian heritage also inspired the name of her dog, a border collie named Oz.

After the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), Kristen Stewart was called for jury duty in Los Angeles and was accepted to a jury for a case in which the defendant was accused of soliciting sex from an undercover police officer posing as a prostitute. The case proceedings took three days and ended with the jury finding the defendant not guilty.

Very private about her personal life. In 2010, many main stream media outlets began referring to her relationship with Twilight (2008/I) co-star, Robert Pattinson, as matter of fact rather than rumored.

Was named "Stonette of the Year" by High Times magazine in 2010 (for her performance in Adventureland (2009)).

Ranked #3 in FHM Online "Sexiest Women in the World" (2010).

Ranked #13 in the 2011 FHM list of "Sexiest Women in the World".

Ranked #6 in the 2010 FHM list of "Sexiest Women in the World".

Her favorite horror movie is The Shining (1980).

Was named Forbes 5th Highest Paid Celebrity Couple in 2011 with boyfriend, Robert Pattinson.

Landed her first American Vogue cover in January, 2011. She also appeared in a photo-shoot for Vogue Italia in 2011.

Prior to filming The Runaways (2010) she worked closely with Joan Jett to perfect her mannerisms, stage presence, vocal tone, attitude, and musical skill. Jett later praised Stewart for her dedication and overall performance stating the portrayal made her proud.

Learned to play guitar for her role as Joan Jett in The Runaways (2010). She also recorded her own vocal tracks for 6 songs used in the film and its corresponding soundtrack.

While filming an attack scene in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) she pulled a ligament in her right hand causing production to temporarily shut down. She also sustained a foot injury while on set.

On November 3, 2011, Stewart and her Twilight co-stars Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner imprinted their handprints and footprints into cement in front of the famous Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California. Stewart wore black and white checkered Vans skate shoes for her footprints and later gave them to the theater to keep as a souvenir.

Welcome to the Rileys (2010) was the first movie Stewart filmed by herself as a legal adult. She felt being alone for the first time added to her role as a 16-year old runaway living alone in New Orleans.

Attended A. E. Wright Middle School in Calabasas, California until 8th grade. Stewart was homeschooled for grades 9-12 due to her busy schedule. At age 19 she received her high school diploma while filming The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010).

Her favorite vampire film is The Lost Boys (1987).

Has appeared alongside Melissa Leo twice. Once in The Cake Eaters (2007) and again in Welcome to the Rileys (2010).

Has worked with Elizabeth Perkins twice. Once in Speak (2004) and again in Fierce People (2005). In both films Perkins played Stewart's mother.

At age 8, Stewart was discovered by a talent agent while singing in a school play. Although Stewart has since become an actress and not a singer she has performed her own vocals in two films, Into the Wild (2007) and The Runaways (2010).

Gave her Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005) co-star, Josh Hutcherson, a turtle for his 13th birthday.

Celebrated her 19th birthday while filming The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) in British Columbia, specifically while shooting Bella Swan's 18th birthday scene.

In preparation for her role as a runaway stripper-prostitute in Welcome to the Rileys (2010) Stewart learned how to pole dance, deprived herself of sleep, chain-smoked, and ate mostly junk food. As a result her body and legs were covered with bruises, her skin was blemished, and she constantly looked tired.

Voted #27 on Ask men's top 99 'most desirable' women of 2012 list.

On January 13, 2012, Stewart was named the newest spokesperson for Balenciaga and was set to be the face of a new fragrance for 2012. As a result of the partnership, Stewart attended Paris Fashion Week in March 2012 to attend the Balenciaga fashion show.

Did most of her own stunts for her role as Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012).

Stewart agreed to a salary less than $200,000 so she could remain be part of On the Road (2012) after the film's budget was drastically cut. Stewart remained committed to the role of Marylou out of her love for the original novel by Jack Kerouac.

Attended the 2012 MTV Movie Awards with Scout Taylor-Compton, one of her co-stars from The Runaways (2010). It was the first MTV Awards show she attended without Robert Pattinson.

Ranked #7 on Askmen's list of the Top 99 "most desirable" famous women for 2013.

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